The Cutting Edge | TECHNOLOGY BRIEFS

Intel Unveils Wireless-Gear Design

Intel Corp. revealed a design for wireless Internet gear based on the No. 1 computer-chip maker's new XScale processors, targeting a fast-growing market controlled by Texas Instruments Inc. Intel's design gives device makers a blueprint to build wireless appliances by simply snapping parts into a set configuration, letting them focus on crafting new applications, said Intel spokesman Tom Beermann. Manufacturers are adding functions to cell phones and other electronic products to handle more complex Internet-based audio and video tasks. These functions need more power than the digital-signal processors running those appliances today can offer, Intel said. Investors expect an uphill battle against Texas Instruments, whose chips are used in two-thirds of the world's cell phones. "It's going to take a lot of time and effort," said Christian Koch, an analyst with Trusco Capital Management, which owns shares of both companies. "TI already has this wave of new designs they've been pursuing. That should help them before Intel even makes a play into the market." Shares of Santa Clara-based Intel rose $2.69 to close at $63.06 on Nasdaq. Dallas-based Texas Instruments fell $3.69 to close at $60 on the New York Stock Exchange.